Cycle Holidays, Ireland

Lambs, Calves, and Puppies On the Open Road Cycling in Ireland by Irene Middleman Thomas Ah, to be sure, it took me a trip to Ireland to learn that I was born a “masher.” John Heagney solemnly shook his head as he told me this and said that he too was a masher. John, the owner of Cycle Holidays Ireland, should know. Operating scores of cycle trips over the past eight years throughout the gloriously beautiful western coast of Ireland, John is an avid cyclist himself and knows a masher when he sees one. “A masher uses the high gears, but pedals slowly,” he explains. Good for the heart, but not for the knees. And so, on my Irish cycling tour, I learned how to spin and use the full range of gears. My knees, after five days of thirty-plus miles cycling per day, were grateful! Travel writers learn early on that ‘charming’ is a no-no John notes. word — overused, trite, etc. Yet that is the first and most As a nervous novice, I had decided to go on an organ - apt word that comes to mind when describing western ized tour with an experienced operator. I really had no idea Ireland. Tiny villages seemingly out of a children’s book, how many miles I would be able to ride every day, and I felt with clay-tile-roofed, yellow, red, green, and blue houses, secure knowing that Cycle Holidays Ireland would accom - narrow twisting lanes, and lace in every window. Pubs filled modate my needs. Our group contained all levels of ability with grandmas and grandpas in peaked hats, teens in and experience, however. Most in the group had taken motorcycle jackets, and every age in between enjoying group cycle tours before, and John says that he has many Celtic fiddles and banjos along with their Guinness. Road repeat customers each year. Obviously, one could travel to signs in Gaelic and people really speaking it. Lambs too Ireland independently, rent a bike, buy some maps, and go adorable to believe and too many to count along the road - for it. With a guided cycling tour, however, tourists bene - ways — all this is Ireland and is touched with the wit and fit from the operator’s expertise and knowledge of the area’s humor we’ve all come to associate with the Irish. To be terrain, culture, history, and cuisine — as well as equip - sure, charming is the word. ment and maintenance. Cyclists leave all those worrisome Western Ireland, indeed, is called the “ Croc Cultura na details behind and can concentrate on enjoying their sight - Heireann ” — the cultural heart of Ireland. Gaelic, the native seeing. John points out that in the four regions of the West Irish language, plays a significant role in the living heritage of Ireland, where his company operates, there are many of the region, with its wide range of year-round festivals and sites that date back to 3,000 BCE. “It would be a shame to events (visit www.irelandwest.ie for a full listing). leave so much of Ireland’s heritage undiscovered on your Having never taken a cycling trip before nor even hav - visit to our beautiful country. Our tours are built on the ing measured mileage, I was doubtful about my own abili - principle that you are coming to Ireland to see it up close ties to make the trip. I was pleasantly surprised (and a bit and learn about one of the most unique cultures in proud!) that I did, in fact, measure up to the demands, as Europe.” did all of the others in the group. Cycle Holidays Ireland’s John, whose original and current occupation is dairy flexibility and creativity allows for a wide range of cycling farmer, became enthralled with cycling as a youngster and abilities and tastes. Just about anyone can be accommodat - would ride through the countryside whenever he wasn’t ed “as long as he is willing to accept his own limitations,” busy with milking cows, schoolwork, or hurling (an ancient Irish sport which resembles a mix of motorcycle along so that he can zip around eraries, mentions of historical and cultural lacrosse, baseball, and armed combat, in easily and find stray cyclists or familiarize sidetrips, references, and the general tone to John’s words). A supremely organized and himself with any pending problems. find a good fit for your needs. energetic individual, he manages to handle Another bus remains at the front of the Cycle Holidays Ireland’s tours meander both of his operations magnificently while group to identify junctions and, most impor - along the banks of the Shannon River, take maintaining his keen wit and friendly, easy- tant, lunch stops. Each rider is also equipped in the austere yet majestic beauty of going manner. Looking for the quintessen - with a cell phone from which to call either Connemara, and show you the incompara - tial, stereotypical Irishman? You’ll find it in bus. Riders can ride together or alone, as ble serenity of the Burren, with a side trip to John. Oh, and about that dairy farm: John they choose. They all end up, somewhat the remote Aran Islands as a common option. This part of Ireland seems little changed from yesteryear. I was treated with You’re guaranteed to hear Gaelic here among infinite sightings of fluffy white lambs scur - rying across the road to hide in the brambles the 800 inhabitants, who keep the ancient as I approached, their watchful parents off to the side. One sunny afternoon, another Celtic language well preserved and alive. cyclist in my group and I came upon two very cute puppies scampering on our farm will give you the opportunity to milk his miraculously, at the same place, in time for road. We hopped off, played with them, and cows if you like, a rather unusual addition to lunch and for the pub break at the end of the fell for them so hard that for a rather long a cycling tour. day. moment we toyed with taking them back Cycle Holidays Ireland’s average group Ireland has several cycling tour opera - home with us. size is fourteen. A drinking-water-stocked tors, most of them based in the western, I saw the remains of “famine cottages,” bus always travels behind the group, so that sparsely populated, and more rural part of those sad stone dwellings that were home to cyclists can fill up their bottles or catch a lift the country. How to choose? Obviously, the Irish who suffered death or forced emi - at any time — with nary a grimace from price is a big consideration — but also check gration during the tragic famine of the mid- John or his staffers. John also brings a the websites for accurate, well-described itin - 1800s. I also passed storybook homes with JuneJune 16-23,16-23, 2 2007007 Presented by Register Now! Western Ohio Columbus Outdoor Pursuits 1199 YEARSYEARS OFOF GOBAGOBA Sponsored by 3,0003,000 PEOPLEPEOPLE 7DAYS7 DAYS 335050 M MILESILES 614-273-0811 7 JUNEJUNE EVENINGSEVENINGS 5C CAMPGROUNDSAMPGROUNDS It all adds up to the biggest and best bicycle tour in the East! www.goba.com 30 ADVENTURE CYCLIST MARCH 2007 ADVENTURECYCLING .ORG lace curtains in the windows, red doors, and sometimes a friendly resident waving hello. I saw tiny hamlets, sweeping purple-blue moors, and vast boglands. I didn’t see a bill - board, a fast-food joint, or bottles and wrap - pers tossed in the road. This country wel - comes you with pride, respect, and gratitude — tourists are embraced and treated as friends. My cycling tour started at Shannon Airport, the country’s biggest, and a very well-run airport. I was astonished that traffic to the United States is so heavy from Shannon that we actually have an immigra - tion office on the premises. That means returning travelers are all checked through before arrival in the States. Our group gathered together on our first day, before doing any cycling, to discuss the routes and how to interpret the daily route maps. Photos on the back of Cycle Historic interlude. The group visits one of many Irish landmarks. Holidays Ireland’s maps depict the junc - up with the group. The support vehicles Castle and Folk Park, the country’s most tions. Cyclists are encouraged to split up and keep traveling the route all day to maintain complete and authentic medieval castle and spread out as much as possible so that those contact. recreation of nineteenth-century rural who want to explore small byroads will feel The first day of the company’s tour is Ireland. After the quite enjoyable medieval free to do so, and won’t feel stressed to keep spent at the fifteenth-century Bunratty castle banquet, some might choose to hit the ADVENTURE CYCLIST MARCH 2007 ADVENTURECYCLING .ORG 31 pubs in Bunratty village afterward. Every of the river Shannon to the final destination it out and make peat for fuel. Fluffy black- evening, one of the support vehicles is of Portumna. Day three takes cyclists to my faced Scottish sheep and sleek cows occu - always on call to ferry members of the group favorite place, Connemara, where they trans - pied the fields and rocky slope sides all back to their accommodations whenever fer through Galway on the way to Maam around. I felt so far from my everyday life. they are ready to turn in for the evening. Cross. The route passes through the village I’ve never enjoyed cycling as much as I did Staffers work in the evenings making any of Leenaun, Kylemore Abbey, and the Inagh here.

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